This was how it began.

Every year around this time, November to December, Gunnar would isolate himself.

He loved his friends, but he needed time to think of his wife and the loss he experienced over the last ten years.

It was partially unhealthy, he would admit, but he needed time.

And this time was different.

Because of the feelings that came about the other night, he knew that a different approach was needed.

Honesty was needed.

He had freedom and he trusted God in every way, but freedom and trust could only take him so far.

Being open and truthful with God and himself about his life was going to take his freedom and faith to the next level.

And the best place to do it was his home.

He lived in a log cabin-esque home away from the city. Isolated as he desired.

He rarely had guests only because his home was a place of peace for him. It was the only thing in his life that he was picky about.

"The joy of the Lord is my strength," He murmured and noted it down in his journal.

Along with reveling in peace, Gunnar spent his time at home in the Word.

Now it was most important for him to spend time with God and fill his mind with goodness.

His idle mind after losing Kaitlyn was the reason he slipped back into his addictions, and as it goes, the second time around was harder than the first.

It had been ten years, Gunnar's self-control and faith had gotten stronger so he didn't fear falling again, but he knew that it could happen to anyone.

Again he wrote, 'The joy of the Lord is my strength,'

"It ain't always easy," He said honestly to God.

He wanted to have what Beau and Honeydew had. It was plain and simple.

God always spoke to him and he understood that his desires would change as he continued walking with God.

His desires were now the undeniable truth that he wanted a wife.

'I want a wife.'

He wrote it down and looked to the sky.

"You hear that, Lord? I ain't been sobbin bout my Kaitlyn, she was my love when You had her here, but now it's time." He said strongly without a doubt in his mind that God would deliver.

Now that he let it out, just expressed the desire with faith, he felt better.

It was hard to live without saying everything.

His meltdown, a healthy emotional breakdown, was just a reaction from keeping his feelings to himself.

'Thank you, Lord, for my wife.'

It was a done deal.

A smile rested on his face and the calm sound of the fire he had going added to the peace of mind he had now.

Living in the forest was blissful.

He loved animals and nature as a whole.

As a boy he hated animals. Unfortunately, he was a little aggressive once and tried catching a squirrel to have its skin.

He was a strange boy.

But now, as stated before, he loved resting in the vast creation of God.

Bears weren't too common in his yard, but he had a few cross his land without a hitch.

Mostly he had foxes and small rodents. He loved them all.

'Get a fence for my new wife-pray that she loves nature and animals,'

A chuckle slipped past his lips at his note.

It felt so good to just say what he wanted and not shy away from it.

His phone buzzed on the side table and he looked to see what it was.

Moses: everything's going well at the shop. I got that job advert out for the receptionist like you asked.

Moses, his best worker, was holding down the Autoshop while Gunnar was away, and he was doing well enough for Gunnar not to worry.

Gunnar: Thank you, keep up the good work.

He sent the message and opened one from Beau.

Beau: How you holding up? And don't lie.

Gunnar rolled his eyes in false annoyance but smiled at the caring ways of his friend.

Gunnar: Right now my head and heart are good. I been honest with the Lord and I feel good. But I feel up and down

He wouldn't lie to Beau. That man was really serious about honesty and he prayed almost as much as Gunnar did, so accuracy was key when it came to petitioning the Lord on others behalf.

Beau: I'm glad to hear you spoke your mind. Your absence hasn't gone unnoticed and we're all praying for you. Jace says that he misses his cheese haired Uncle, he's calling you that now

Gunnar chuckled as his heart grew warm. He was blessed to have a caring family.

Beau: Also, Hunter says that he wants to see you for Harvest Festival, you have to come out of hiding for that. And, I say that I love you and I hope you get all you need from this time at home

Gunnar: You tell them both Gunnar'll be there and i love them. Thank you for thinking of me and I appreciate you all

He put aside his phone and leaned back in his chair in thought.

What he said was true, his mood was up and down.

His mind was on Honeydew and Beau.

The way they fell in love, it was nothing but God.

He faintly chuckled at the memory of Beau's love-stricken face as he told him about meeting her at the diner.

Women like Honeydew didn't come often. They were a rarity.

She hadn't even made a fuss about Beau having children. She just welcomed the entire family with kindness and that sweet smile.

She was like his daughter, a genuine doll.

He remembered the day that he brought her some soup. It wasn't long ago, but it was memorable.

"If you ever start dating again, your girlfriend will be a very very happy woman."

Gunnar remembered word for word because it made him blush.

It made him think.

He wasn't the most charming man, nor did he have the best diction.

His physical appearance was nice. He took good care of himself and he knew how to cook.

But most importantly, he had a good heart. He understood people and cared for everyone, even people like Darlene.

And it was enough for a sweet little woman like Honeydew to compliment him.

However, he didn't want a girlfriend.

A girlfriend was something he never had. Before going to prison he didn't have interest in dating and with Kaitlyn, they courted for a short time before getting married.

He didn't ask to be her boyfriend. In a plain sense, they met, he was hooked, and asking to court was like asking to be engaged.

That was what he wanted this time around.

Maybe with a real gentle-hearted woman.

Her looks didn't matter much, but she had to be easy on the eyes.

Kaitlyn was a gorgeous Hispanic woman, lovely head to toe, inside and out.

He wasn't into a certain ethnicity. He didn't favor one color over another, again, it was about heart.

But, he did favor one thing above others.

"I know I ain't thinkin bout this like a boy," He shook his head at his frilly crush antics and jotted down one last thing.

It was the only thing that mattered.

He closed his journal and rested his eyes allowing the joy of being one with nature to overtake his being.

But what did he write down?

'Lord, let her heart be open to my love and adoration. I just wanna love her like you do.'

-

Selene stepped into the small cafe and took a breath.

She had easily gone unnoticed as she explored the town, though she hadn't run into anyone yet, nor had she informed the Johnson's of her arrival, she was hoping that as the days went on she'd stay undetected.

It was her third day being in Perkinston.

The first two days she spent them making her townhouse as homey as it could be, and now she was bored of watching reruns of Sister, Sister.

Which is why she was here at Jingle Jam.

It was time for a refresher from all her slightly tiring explorations.

"Oh, my wonderful and awesome God!" She heard a girl squeal in excitement.

So much for being undetected.

Selene looked at the girl and a smile grew on her face in recognition.

It was Brylee.

She was only a young girl the last time she came around, but those eyes and her hair remained the same. Only, the girl was more beautiful than before.

"Brylee," Selene greeted her in shock at how big she'd gotten.

Brylee's eyes widened and her hands clenched in the air showing her sheer excitement. "Y-you know my name? I can't believe you remember me!" She said in disbelief.

Selene laughed lightly at the girl. She was adorable and this was something Selene could handle. It wasn't overbearing, just the excitement of a teenaged girl.

"Of course, I remember you," Selene told her with a smile. "Catch me up on what's new with you, boys, school, life," She wanted to hear something nice.

Her conversations as a celebrity were usually monopolized with meaningless chatter, comparisons, and talk about her "private" life.

This is why hearing something from a teenaged girl would be refreshing.

Brylee's cheeks turned pink and she nodded shyly.

Selene followed Brylee to a table near the door and sat waiting for her to talk.

Brylee twisted the ring on her middle finger and stared at the table with furrowed brows. It seemed like she was stumped.

"I'm not sure if you know this, but I haven't gone to school since I was in elementary, is high school the way it's displayed in movies and tv?" Selene asked offering conversational bait to the girl.

She was trained by one of the best correspondents in Hollywood, so she understood a thing or two about keeping up a good flow in conversation.

And it worked.

Brylee placed her hands on the table and stared at Selene in shock. "I didn't know that, woah. Well, we don't get as much freedom in school. We have dress codes, so the little outfits some people wear in movies wouldn't fly at my school. I'm a cheerleader and it's the best thing, but the girls are friendly and totally different than the ones in movies," She explained in a bubbly tone.

Selene hummed at the information.

It was nice and school sounded nice. She was glad that Brylee was living as a teenager should.

"Very nice, how about boys? And you can't tell me that there aren't any, you're so pretty," There was no pressure in this conversation and it felt weird to Selene.

She was talking to Brylee without care. As if she'd known her for years. But it was because she knew why the caged bird sang.

And she was getting to sing without worrying about what her manager or father thought.

Brylee's eyes dodged as her cheeks turned red.

The innocence of the girl made Selene think back to a place where she was bright-eyed and blushing.

Nostalgia did nothing for her.

It only shined a light on the truth that some people weren't fit to live with purity and optimism.

There was no protection for the girl she once was. There were vultures in the world who liked to seek those girls and destroy everything within them that made them pure, green, and bright.

The thought of someone taking away Brylee's innocence turned Selene's stomach and set ablaze a fire in her heart.

It couldn't happen to the sweet girl.

Brylee's soft hand tapped Selene's taking her out of the wormhole of her vicious thoughts.

"Are you okay?" She asked displaying the very purity Selene was just hoping to stay intact.

Selene nodded and smiled to ease the girl's worries. "I was just thinking about something, but I don't think you answered my question," She said teasingly, all while trying to hush the thoughts.

"Oh, well," Brylee giggled faintly and clutched her hands together. "There's this boy, he's very sweet and handsome as can be, and he's on the football team. I've had a crush on him ever since I could remember, and this year we were paired together in class," She said and the pitch in her voice went up.

It was green.

Just sweet and green.

"His name is Hunter and I know that he likes me, but he's a little reserved, but he's gotten better! And neither of us can date until we're sixteen," She finished with a darling smile.

Oh to be a young woman again.

"That's so cute!" Selene gushed in wonder.

Brylee knew that she was a delight and it amazed Selene. There was no doubt, she didn't have to ask.

"I'm sure your life is more interesting than mine, I mean, I still can't believe that you're sitting here with me. You're so normal, but in a good way, I thought that maybe celebrities were a little different, and you are but it's a good kind," Brylee rambled trying not to offend Selene in the midst of complimenting her. "I'm sorry, can I ask what you're planning on doing here?" She asked hesitantly.

Selene instantly nodded and waved the girl off for her apology. "I understand what you mean. And I'm here to simply exist, and maybe try something I haven't tried yet," Her voice trailed off near the end of her statement as she thought of a seemingly outrageous idea.

It was something that she'd never done.

"Oh, well I get it, I don't, but if I were as famous as you are, as busy, and as beautiful, I'd like to get away too. It seems like Perkinston is becoming a place for women to start again, Honeydew moved here two or three months ago, she's really sweet, she used to work for my mother at the salon, but she quit two weeks ago, or maybe three," Brylee explained and counted on her fingers for accuracy.

Selene liked that she talked a lot. She wasn't afraid to be told to shut up or that her words were only important while reading a script and performing.

And again, the idea was brought back to her mind.

She had so much time on her hands and this was the first time she could choose to do something on her own.

"Speaking of work, do you know if any place is hiring? Just something part-time," She asked the chatty teen, whose eyes bucked at her question.

It was a weird question coming from a celebrity who left her job to not work, she knew that.

Brylee hummed and pursed her lips for a moment.

"Aha!" She cheered. "I was trying to think of a place I'd like, you know it's bad to suggest a place that you wouldn't even want to work in yourself, but I know that the diner is always looking for a new waitress,"

Selene's face scrunched up at the thought of working on her feet all day. She moved to get away from that kind of strenuous work.

Brylee giggled at her face and smiled. "Ok, that's out, it's fine. Um, can you do hair? My mom needs a new stylist, a fair warning, I love my mother, but her salon is a hot spot for drama," She said lowly while dodging her eyes for dramatic effect.

"Oh, I can't even really style my own hair," Selene admitted slightly embarrassed at her lack of skill. She's had a stylist for almost twenty years.

Brylee tapped her head and then clapped. "Hendrik's Autoshop! They're looking for a receptionist, don't be turned off by the fact that it's a car shop, Gunnar, the owner, he's more than sweet. I don't have a word to describe him, but he's practically Hunter's Uncle and he's always giving to people and helping, he even gives free services to the elderly," She said sounding pleased with her suggestion.

A receptionist?

She knew how to use a computer and answer phone calls.

It was part of her training to be a convincing secretary for a movie she worked in. She took computer classes and did phone drills because her father didn't want her to look stupid.

He always told her, 'My daughter will never just play a part. You will live the part. Brassard's reach the top and live irreproachably.'

She couldn't make a mistake.

And as the scene was being filmed, her father convinced the director to allow Selene to actually write reports for the movie, taking a load off one of the assistants on staff.

She was more than an actress.

"-I think you'd like it," Brylee finished with a smile.

Selene smiled back at the girl disguising the fact that she stopped listening. Her thoughts were too loud sometimes. "Thank you, I think I'll look into that one,"

The doorbell jingled as a customer walked into the shop and Selene knew it was time to go home.

"It was nice talking to you, and I'll be sure to stop by another day. And, I'll let you know what I decide," She told Brylee and stood up from their table.

Brylee stood as well and waved at the customer with a sweet smile. "I'll be right with you,"

"I pray that God makes this decision easy for you," She told Selene and waved goodbye to her.

Selene left the shop without allowing the customer to see her face.

Her confused face and conflicted face.

The conflict came from the thoughts of her life she left behind, but would never be free from.

And confusion came from Brylee.

What was a young girl talking about God for?

He had forgotten about Selene long ago and proved to only love specific people when she suffered loss.

God couldn't help her decide anything. He couldn't even save her from the pain he allowed to happen.

"I'll just flip a coin," She decided and searched in her car for a coin.

Heads, she'd work at the Autoshop. Tails, she'd figure something else out.

She found a quarter and flipped it.

And there lay her fate.

-

Authors Note

Hey y'all!

When I tell y'all that God is so awesome! I sat down and got the rest of this chapter written in like two hours! He's so faithful.

Moving on, I loved writing this! I wrote the gist of Gunnar's Redemption maybe on Friday and it helped me understand the flow of the story, Selene's development, and the roles Gunnar will play in aiding to a healthy appreciation of herself, vulnerability, among other fabulous things.

My girl Selene has a lot going on in her heart and mind, Lord help her and He will.

Anywho, I really want to hear your thoughts!

I'm talking a lot, but I'm just happy! This chapter flowed soooo well and next chapter we get to see Honeydew and Beau! Yay!

So, as usual, what's next? Your thoughts? And I'd like to know what you do, wether you work or just exists like I do for the will of God, I want to know!

See you on another day!

Bye!!!

Also, this is our fave, Gunnar's house😍❤️